President Barack Obama is introduced by Jim McNerney, chief executive officer of The Boeing Co., before speaking about the "fiscal cliff" during an address before the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers, on Wednesday, Dec. 5,2012, in Washington.

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WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama warned Republicans on Wednesday against picking another fight over the nation’s debt ceiling, telling business leaders that it’s “not a game that I will play.”

Obama said in remarks to the Business Roundtable that he was aware of reports that Republicans may be willing to agree to higher tax rates on the wealthy as a way to avert the looming “fiscal cliff” and then come back next year with more leverage to extract spending cuts from the White House in exchange for raising the government’s borrowing limit.

“That is a bad strategy for America, it’s a bad strategy for your businesses, and it’s not a game that I will play,” Obama said, recalling the “catastrophe that happened in August of 2011.”

The president cited the prolonged and deeply partisan standoff over raising the U.S. debt limit last year that led the nation to the brink of default for the first time in its history.

If Congress and the White House don’t reach a budget deal, about $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and tax increases will automatically kick in starting Jan. 2, a scenario that’s been dubbed the “fiscal cliff” because it is likely to send the economy back into recession and drive up unemployment.

Meantime, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Republican leaders said Wednesday — prior to Obama’s remarks — that the White House had failed to offer a “balanced approach” that had a chance of clearing either chamber of Congress. “We can’t negotiate with ourselves,” Boehner said.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 37 total comments

This obstructionist platform the the Republicans have been using to cripple and scare America has already cost them the Presidency and the Senate. If they keep it up they can count on loosing the House in the mid-terms. And Arkansas has once again let itself be tricked into letting the foxes guard what's left of the hen house that the last foxes didn't get. It's no suprise that Fox "News" led the assault.

The continued Tax and Spend of the Democratic party may buy them more votes, but it's sending our country into an economic tailspin. The obstructions are on the side of a president who refuses to negotiate a compromise. It's "his way" or nothing... and that's what we will have... nothing.... And why should anyone want to work? The folks that don't work are being rewarded. Those who do work are paying more taxes and fines and fees next year. "Big Daddy Government" will take care of us all... free everything! Welcome to America - downgrading itself to a third world country!

Not a game he will play???? I wasn't aware that our present state of economics was a game.What a loser of a president...He should never have been elected to start with. He is such a putz. We have got to quit spending our economy cannot survive at the rate the government isspending and "giving" away money we don't have.

Who decided it was the taxpayers responsibility to pay everyones bills? I am not referring to SS or Medicare. Most of the people receiving these funds have paid into it for years. I am also not refering to highways , education, etc. I am referring to paying the bills of people who have consistantly made poor choices; the choice not to take advantage to a free education, training, retraining, all funded by the taxpayers, the choice not to put their child/childrens needs before their own pleasures, addictions, and habbits, etc. Until there is more individual responsibility and less "it takes a village", I see no way for the economy to get better. Stop making excuses for poor choices, man up, and do what is needed to improve your individual situation. Stop blaming it on the man/woman who was smart enough to succeed and work on your own success. Our ecomony can improve, one individual at a time.

Please, any puppets out there tell me one Republican that has EVER cut the budget or came close to balance one? Makes all you look pretty ignorant when you act like they are fiscally responsible or even gives a crap what concerns you. You people are just the peons they con with their morality issues to vote for wall street greed. Two parties, one system, no change.

Hey Jjackk (Mr. Meoff) - At the risk of accepting your "puppet" premise, have you ever heard of the Contract With America and Newt Gingrich? Bill Clinton likes to take credit, but it was Newt and friends that made it happen. I do feel GW Bush capitulated to liberal demorats on budget issues and he should have allowed the federal government to shutdown anytime the idiots on the other side of the aisle refused to entertain his budget proposals. GW was too nice and tried too hard to please the liberal tax and spenders, and it cost him and us dearly.

I vote we go over the mythological fiscal cliff and stay there through the mid-terms and let the voters sort things out. Who know, maybe after a couple of years taxpayers come to like it.